Bert Bertagna brings over 40 years of extensive business and technology experience, having held senior leadership positions at renowned organizations such as Procter & Gamble, DHL Worldwide Express, Miami-Dade County Government, Office Depot, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bloomin’ Brands, and currently, Pasco County Government. As a results-driven technology leader, Bert has demonstrated a strong track record of driving revenue growth, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering exceptional customer experiences on a global scale. His expertise in innovation and digital transformation has been instrumental in modernizing business processes and implementing cutting-edge technology solutions.

A valued member of Executive Leadership Teams, Bert has successfully led diverse and global teams, inspiring them to embrace change and execute with excellence. In his current role as a Senior IT Leader at Pasco County Government, Bert is responsible for driving business transformation and executing strategic plans to deliver innovative technology solutions and premier customer service to the employees and citizens of Pasco County.

Bert is also an active board member and Past President of the SIM Tampa Bay Chapter. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and has been awarded the designation of Certified Public Manager from the Florida State University Askew School of Public Administration and Policy.

I\’m excited by the opportunity to bring the possibilities of exponential growth to bear against this greatest of challenges. Such a domain, which is replete with solutions that need rapid scaling, is a technologist\’s dream. This is especially true in the age of AI, where solutions are only limited by one\’s imagination.

AI has been an abiding area of interest for me, formerly the Chief Product Officer for CortexAI, the firm\’s strategic platform for innovation in Artificial Intelligence. It has been exciting to see an exponential growth in capabilities over the past 15 years, from the launch of very capable machine learning models to the democratization of AI via Large Language Models (LLMs).

I bring over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry where I led innovative initiatives in cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, advanced analytics and product management. My primary focus has been around helping clients effectively address key challenges in risk management, compliance and risk data aggregation.

Prior to joining Deloitte, I served as a partner at Teradata Corporation where I oversaw a Professional Services practice in financial services. I worked closely with large banking clients to implement some of its largest analytics in regulation and transparency, including being called upon to offer expert testimony to the United States Congress.

In addition, I have been widely published and quoted in the areas of robotics, AI, risk information and risk architecture. I’m a senior editor and contributing author of the Handbook of Financial Data and Risk Information (Cambridge University Press).

Marcus Session is the Vice President of Information Technology Services for Tampa International Airport (TPA).  His passion for technology, innovation, and business enablement are guiding the technology strategy of TPA.  He is responsible for leading and advising on technology initiatives throughout the organization.  He has 21 years of experience in Information Technology working in a variety of industries.  Previously, he served as Interim CIO for USF Health and Senior Director of IT Operations for the USF System.

During his tenure at Tampa International Airport the ITS team has undergone significant change; restructuring of the IT project management office and information security team, hosting several technology events, and strengthened relationships with other technology organizations throughout the country.  This has increased visibility, collaboration, security, and efficiency of technology initiatives at the TPA. 

He was recognized in 2018 as one of eleven CIO of the year honorees by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.  He serves as a board member for the Tampa Chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM) as Vice President, and he as a steering group member for the Airports Council International BIT Committee.

He has spoken at national conferences and led transformative initiatives to help his organizations reach their goals.  He holds a Master’s of Science in Information Technology, as well as a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Florida. He is also a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and a Cisco Networking Academy alumnus.

Jennifer Wesson is the Chief Information Officer of MedQuest Associates, a leading owner, operator, and manager of independent diagnostic testing facilities across five states.  An accomplished health care executive with over twenty years’ experience leading diverse teams in innovative technology solution development, delivery and support, Jennifer joined MedQuest Associates in September 2023 after serving in CIO roles at Cancer Treatment Centers of America and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa during the prior decade.   

Jennifer obtained an MBA from the University of Florida and undergraduate degrees in Management Information Systems and Finance from Florida State University. She is a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and is the President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Society for Information Management.  Jennifer was recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a finalist for the “CIO of the Year Award” in 2016 and 2018.  She also was recognized as a finalist for the 2021 Miami “CIO of the Year” ORBIE Awards.   

Jeff Wysocki leads the Information Technology (IT) function for the $5.0B Medtronic Surgical Innovations Business Unit. He is part of the business unit leadership team and provides direction in the areas of Information Technology, Commercial Solutions, Business Intelligence, Acquisition Diligence and Integration, and Healthcare IT.

Jeff joined the organization in 2011, and has previously held the role of IT Leader for the $4.3B Patient Monitoring and Recovery business unit. He also held the role of IT and Commercial Operations leader for the $2.0B Respiratory & Monitoring Solutions division. 
Prior to joining Medtronic, Jeff worked in the consumer goods industry for 15 years, including IT leadership roles at MillerCoors, Coors Brewing Company and Kimberly-Clark.

Jeff has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in Information Technology and Commercial Operations. Among his accomplishments, Jeff led/participated in technology diligence and integration efforts for eight mergers and acquisitions, helped incubate a Remote Patient Monitoring internal startup that has delivered $10M+ in revenue, led an organization-wide Customer Satisfaction/Net Promoter Score program, and helped drive sales transformation from volume to profit-based management, including new commercial CRM and business intelligence platforms. 
Jeff received a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management Information Systems, and his MBA, from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh.

David Anderson is CH2M HILL’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. As CIO, he has direct responsibility for the development and administration of CH2M Hill’s global information technology strategies, enterprise-wide technology projects, and information systems and services supporting all business functions. A 30-year veteran of the information technology industry, David most recently served as Oracle Corporation’s Group Vice President for the Global Services, Transportation, and Construction business unit. He is a Board member for the Colorado Technology Association and Fiatech. Prior to joining Oracle, David led the North America Engineering & Construction consulting practice for Ernst & Young, working directly with top global engineering & construction firms. Other positions included Director of Strategy and Product Development for Solomon Software and Information Technology Director for OHM Corporation.

 

Dora Boussias is an industry-recognized, award-winning executive and thought leader in data, AI, and leadership. With nearly 30 years of corporate experience at leading companies like GE, Stryker, and Prudential, she has consistently driven business-value innovation and developed scalable solutions across global organizations.

As a trusted advisor, international keynote speaker, and coach, Dora expertly leverages her deep insights to guide leaders and organizations in crafting and executing tailored data and AI strategies. A longtime advocate and mentor, she is also particularly passionate about empowering women in tech to \’be the captain of their ship,\’ helping them steer their strategic growth and career success to their fullest potential. Her journey from a 17-year-old immigrant to corporate executive fuels her unique perspective at the intersection of technology, leadership, and career advancement.

Dora’s expertise spans Financial Services, Insurance, Retail, Education, and Healthcare/MedTech. She has earned several prestigious accolades, including the Global Data Power Women, AI100 Leaders, and Global Leadership Institute Awards. Actively serving on multiple boards, she has been featured on over 30 podcasts and in published interviews, spoken at major conferences, and had her insights featured on the cover of CIO Review magazine. Dora’s deep practical insights on data and AI continue to resonate, and she is increasingly sought after for her impactful talks on business transformation, leadership, and career strategies, helping audiences achieve success with greater confidence and speed.

 

Lori Brown is the Former Results Companies’ Chief Experience Officer. A 25-year veteran of the BPO services industry, Lori and the Results team have had the opportunity to work with some of the top Fortune 100 and 500 global brands. Through State-of-the-Art technology such as Robotics AI, and BI analytics, understanding where the friction is in an interaction and deploying technology to help smooth those points is what Results is best at. Lori and team have helped their partners increase metrics such as NPS, CSAT and ENPS, all while minimizing costs.  “Having an experienced team that understands the power of data-as well as grasping a deeper understanding into customer behaviors -is critical to our success”.

You will often hear Lori say, “At Results, we don’t say ‘We think’, we say ‘We know’, and we know because we have the data that tells us.”

Mike Conway, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), leads Bidtellect’s Product and Technology Teams, overseeing an ongoing series of innovation initiatives that explore emerging technologies, assess their application to the company’s business, and recommend new strategies and solutions. He is also responsible for the development of the company’s core applications, systems platform, and data infrastructure from product design through production support. In addition, Mr. Conway is responsible for the company’s industry standards engagements, university collaborations, and technical community programs.

Mr. Conway currently holds appointments as President of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Industry Advisory Board, Board Member of the Palm Beach Technology Association, Co-Chair of the PBTA Education & Talent committee, and active member of PBTA Leadership Council.
 
Mr. Conway also is an active member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab working groups for Data Transparency, GDPR Transparency and Consent Framework, Privacy Working Group, OpenRTB Dynamic Native Ads, and IAB REARC.
 
Mr. Conway received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth and an MBA from the University of Maryland GC.

 

Lou Grande is an Information Technology Executive with over 30 years of experience in creating shareholder value and operational effectiveness through technology.  He has worked for organizations of all shapes and sizes, from \”mid-market\” to Fortune Global 500 companies.  He has broad experience in all aspects of system operations, IT governance, support services, compliance and development, and direct experience with IT strategy, project implementation, team organization and technology consulting.

His industry experience includes foodservice/hospitality, retail and management consulting where Lou gained a solid reputation among colleagues, business partners and customers alike as an executive with a rare balance of strategic insight, operational expertise, technical skills, financial skills, and sales and marketing savvy.

Grande holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University in Atlanta.  Lou is an Advisory Council Member of FSTec, Board Chair of the International Food & Beverage Technology Association, a Board Director of SIM Central Florida, and a Board Member and active participant of the NRA IT Executive Study Group.  He is also a five time repeat mentor for Pathbuilders’ Achieva program in Atlanta.

Shawn Harrs is Chief Information Officer of Ygrene Energy Fund. Ygrene offers an alternative way to finance energy-efficient and renewable energy upgrades for residential and commercial properties.  Prior to joining Ygrene, Shawn held a variety of technology-centric executive roles at The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Lennar Corporation.  Shawn has also served on several not-for-profit boards focused on promoting STEM education.  Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from University of Central Florida, a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University.  In addition, Shawn teaches various graduate and doctoral courses through University of Phoenix, Colorado State University Global, and Nova Southeastern University.

Scott Hennon is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Head of Security Services for Cetera Financial Group. In this role, Scott provides transformative, collaborative, and disciplined leadership to manage IT and Operational risks and safeguard customer and company private and sensitive information against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction or disclosure.

Scott plans and develops security and technology risk management measures and strategies to identify, defend, and respond timely and effectively to cyber risks, threats and attacks.

In Scott’s over 30-year career, he has accomplished an MBA as well as CISSP, CDPSE, CGEIT, CISM, and CISA certifications. He has attended the exclusive FBI CISO Bootcamp in Quantico, VA and has been honored as CISO Cybersecurity Professional of the Year for Los Angeles as well as a Top Global CISO in the World Award Winner.

Scott has served in a variety of prior leadership roles where he has been able to make significant transformational changes and organizational contributions. These roles include Chief Information Officer, Head of IT Audit, Head of Enterprise IT Risk Management, and most recently as CISO for both East West Bank and City National Bank.

Rich Latayan serves as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at AAA, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for the cybersecurity program, compliance, architecture, operations, risk management and security incident response. Rich is a transformational leader and forward-thinking IT professional with two decades of experience aligning strategies with technical innovation, business development, and data governance.

Prior to his current role, Rich held global Information Security and IT leadership positions at Walgreens, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Crowe, TransUnion, and Hollister. He adeptly delivers board-level presentations, leads financial planning and revenue generation, and advocates for compliance. This experience has enabled him to excel in international business development and the fields of IT and Business Process Outsourcing (ITO/BPO).

His community involvement includes presenting and moderating at public speaking forums including Evanta, Conseo and INTIX on various topics including cloud identity management, third-party risk assurance, business automation and artificial intelligence. Rich also mentors community professionals in cybersecurity and served as college adjunct instructor in digital forensics and systems security for bachelors and associates degrees. He also earned industry certifications in IT and Information Security including CISSP, CISA, CRISC, ISSMP, CPM and ITIL.

Josh Lazar is the CEO of TechThinkTank LLC, a technology services and software development company.  His most recent research involves the challenges of business to business communications, which he hopes is his next big problem to solve.

Mr. Lazar is a former CIO with more than 20 years of experience in information technology. He received his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Management of Information Systems from the University of Central Florida. 

He has worked at UCF since he was 17-years-old and is currently an Adjunct Instructor, guiding students to deliver amazing futurist presentations.  He is a professional speaker, delivering presentations at several technology conferences, including previous HMG panels. Mr. Lazar proudly serves on the Advisory Board of Keep Orlando Beautiful and on the Executive Committee of the Society for Information Management of Central Florida.

Gram Ludlow is a respected information security executive with over fifteen years of security industry experience. Currently the Vice President of Global Information Security for Marriott Vacations Worldwide, he has spent his career protecting some of the world\’s largest brands and networks. Gram specializes in building highly effective security programs and has held security leadership positions at Caterpillar, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, AGCO Corp and Flowers Foods.

At Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Gram is working with executive leadership to elevate the information security program to a new level. Gram is personally responsible for developing and implementing the strategic road map to protect business operations from cyber security threats. Although focused primarily on this challenge, he continues to be active in the security community and enjoys working with peers and security start-ups to advance the security profession as a whole.

Provide executive IT leadership by leveraging 25 years of international and cross-industry IT experience, which includes 20 years of leadership experience from both IT and the U.S. military. Diverse career experiences have helped develop me into a leader with a proven track record of success that balances clear strategic planning with solid team execution and quantifiable results. 

Tano is currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of National Air Cargo which is a global cargo freight solution provider with a portfolio of supply chain services to include freight forwarding (e.g., air, ocean, overland), air charters (e.g., cargo & passenger), warehousing, customs brokerage, and IT supply chain visibility applications.  Tano has been the CIO since March of 2022.  The main focus of this new CIO role for National Air Cargo is to reinvest and upscale the IT organization to operate in the modern-day Cloud environment along with deploying state-of-the-industry software development practices.  Tano is leading a significant Digital Transformation for the business in order to modernize and digitize business processes and applications, in addition to implementing a new data analytics platform to leverage decades of historical data along with improving the Cyber Security posture of the IT environment.  Tano is helping to lead the National Air Cargo business strategy to become a customer-facing technology enabled air cargo business. 

Tano previously served as the Enterprise IT Digital Transformation Program Director at Lockheed Martin representing IT for the corporate-wide Digital Transformation Program.  Tano has previously served as a CIO at GE Transportation & Emerson Electric and previously worked at Northrop Grumman.  Tano is an Electrical Engineer and began his career in Nuclear Engineering working on Aircraft Carriers & Submarines before making his transition to IT leadership. 

Tano is located in Orlando, FL and is married with two grown children living in Atlanta and New York City.  Away from work, Tano enjoys traveling to new places and playing tennis.

Quintin McGrath is a passionate leader, a global team builder, and an energetic champion for change. He joined Deloitte 20+ years ago as the first South Africa CIO. In 2001, he moved with Deloitte to the US as a key member of the Global CIO’s leadership team. He continues to serve on Deloitte’s Global Technology Executive team.

Over his career, Quintin has led various global technology programs and provided leadership through many critical technology transformations. He spent 8 years leading the Global Application Development team. In 2015, he initiated the transition of Deloitte to becoming a shared services-based organization and now leads a global group that covers a range of IT disciplines to provide frameworks, tools, and capabilities to enable a more agile and responsive global IT team. This includes the global Enterprise Architecture, Innovation, Quality and Certifications, Services Standards and Catalog, Project Management Office, and Change Management pillars.

Quintin is an Electronic Engineer by profession, holding an MS Degree in Engineering from the University of Cape Town. He also has a Business Leadership MBA from the University of South Africa and a MA from Wheaton College in Chicago. As a proponent of life-long learning, he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of South Florida with a focus on ethics and AI.

Along with his determination for personal growth, he is dedicated to developing the people around him, and especially the next generation of millennial leaders. He enjoys photography, spending time with his family, especially his three grandchildren who affectionately call him GQ (for Grandad Quintin), and is an environmental sustainability enthusiast. Quintin currently resides in Chicago, IL with his wife Megan.

TRANSFORMATIONAL & TURNAROUND IT LEADER – TRUSTED BUSINESS & IT PARTNER – INFRASTRUCTURE EVANGELIST

◙ As a progressive-thinking technology leader within medical practice and healthcare environments, I have championed technology (digital) transformations and turnarounds to position organizations for rapid growth. I have richly blended strategic IT planning, operational requirements, and technology processes for greater efficiency and profit growth.

◙ In collaboration with C-suite and Board, I have established IT vision for the company and provided strategic guidance in support of all information technology initiatives. I envisioned, planned, and deployed strategic projects and initiatives related to data analytics and business intelligence, technology development and support, enterprise infrastructure development, and security and technical services.

◙ As an analytically inclined professional I am adept at evaluating complex business needs and provided solutions after careful research of existing and emerging technologies. Most noteworthy is my ability to drive productive and efficient IT operations and organizational digital innovation agenda.

◙ In all my executive leadership roles I led and managed hospitals and administrative technology across facilities, ensuring the privacy and security of user information systems and related IT assets. I succeeded in building and expanding organizational teams, while permeating a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, diversity, and future leadership.

Louis Muniz is a Vice President with the Cyber Risk Advisory Services practice at Kroll, a premier provider of services and digital products related to governance, risk, and transparency; based in New Jersey.  Louis is a highly skilled information security professional with over 25 years of Information Technology experience. He is an accomplished technology leader and practitioner with extensive experience engineering, implementing, and securing systems and networks.  In his current role, Louis partners with clients from various industries at the strategic, operational, and technical levels to proactively build information security programs and help reduce risk according to each client’s unique organizational needs.

 

Before joining Kroll, Louis was the Head of Infrastructure and Cybersecurity at Wilson Elser, a Top 50 law firm based in New York City. He was responsible for leading all operational activities and developing the information security program at the firm.  Louis also led a geographically diverse team as the Senior Manager, Service Management and Delivery for International Flavors and Fragrances Inc (IFF).  While at IFF, Louis was responsible for managing its day-to-day Network Operations Center (NOC), Data Centers, global systems and network infrastructure, disaster recovery, third-party Managed Service Providers, and ITIL Service Management activities.

Phyllis Post is the Former Vice President & CIO for Merck’s Global Human Health division (www.merck.com), where she is responsible for enabling business value through a strategic partnership of Business and IT aligned to realization of critical priorities of the corporation. This includes design, delivery and implementation of both foundational and innovative, leading-edge technology products and platforms to support enhanced customer engagement, value-add automation and robust analytical insight and decisionsupport.
 
In her previous role as the Asia Pacific Client Services and IT Regional Hub leader, Ms. Post provided leadership to establish MSD’s IT Regional Innovation & Development Center in Singapore, while also serving as the regional leader for the IT business partnerships for the Commercial, Manufacturing and R&D divisions. Since joining the company in 1998, Ms. Post has held a number of IT leadership positions to drive business capability enablement aligned with a variety of areas across Merck including support of MRL and Corporate divisions.
 
Prior to joining Merck, Ms. Post worked for a variety of midtier typesetting and web development companies that were engaged primarily in the publication of financial, scientific, medical and technical materials.  Additionally, Ms. Post served as a board member for the Typesetters Association of NY and as President for PrintNJ.
 
Ms. Post holds an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix, as well as a B.A. from Douglass College.

Larry Roos is the former VP, Information & Digital Technology, Worldwide for Tupperware Brands reporting to the CFO.  Previously Larry has been Technology VP reporting to the CIO at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Avon Products and Bloomin\’ Brands.  Larry has also been the CIO for Burger King’s Supply Chain company- Restaurant Services Inc, a $500M Grocery delivery company, a $400M Media company and a loyalty marketing company.  

Allen Starr has 25+ years of business and technology experience and has held senior-level leadership positions for large and small global companies in multiple industries, specifically retail, hospitality, manufacturing and software services.  Allen currently serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Goodwill Industries Suncoast, leading all technology initiatives and support for the organization.  Allen holds a Bachelors degree in Business & Information Systems from Ferris State University and an MBA from Michigan State University.

Christiaan ter Haar is Managing Director and North America Head of Digital Product Transformation for Rabobank. In his current role he sets the agenda for all Digital and Technology Run and Change for North America.

Rabobank is a cooperative bank founded over 125 years ago by farmers in the Netherlands and currently has about 43,000 employees in 38 countries. Internationally Rabobank focuses strictly on the Food & Agri sector.

Prior to his current role, Christiaan was Head of First Line Risk & Security / CISO for Rabobank North America.

Christiaan has over 20 years of experience as an international technology leader, consultant and transformation manager, solely focused on the banking industry. He has gained international experience at, amongst others, HSBC, ABN AMRO, ING and Societe Generale, in a variety of geographies including Europe, South America and North America. His leadership positions span across various Technology functions as well as Business functions.

Christine Vanderpool is the CISO for Florida Crystals, the world’s largest sugar cane refiner and the home of household names such as Domino Sugar, C&H, Redpath, Tate & Lyle Sugars, Sidul and of course Florida Crystals. Although it was never her plan to she have a career in IT, she has a proven track record as a security leader for almost 20 years. Christine has spent her career in a variety of security and IT roles including security leadership for Molson Coors Brewing Company and Kaiser Permanente. In addition, Christine writes for several online security blogs and magazines and is published in The Complete Compliance and Ethics Manual. She also enjoys speaking and educating the world on Cyber Security. She was the 2019 recipient of the Cyber Security Woman Leader of the year.

Ken Washington began his employment with Port Tampa Bay in October 1996 and was promoted to his current position, Chief Information Officer, in 1998. In this capacity, Mr. Washington provides strategic oversight of organizational-wide information technology activities, as well as oversees the development, execution, and evaluation of all technological frameworks and infrastructure for Port Tampa Bay.Mr. Washington brings 35 years of experience in the field of information technology and has a diverse background in both corporate and governmental settings, with extensive experience in enterprise computing, telecommunications and implementations.Mr. Washington received his formal education from Hillsborough Community College, Harold Washington College, and the University of South Florida. He obtained his professional certifications as Master Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and Microsoft Certified Professional.Prior to joining the Port Authority, Mr. Washington was employed by the Florida Aquarium as Manager of MIS, GTE as a Research Analyst, IBM as a Senior Technician, and served in the U.S. Army in Military Intelligence.